Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men - brief but transporting hymn, not only in articulate human speech for our behoof, but in tunable measure in, the fore of a Hebrew parallelism of two complete members, and a third one, as we take it, only explaining and amplifying the second, and so without the connecting "and." The "glory to God" which the newborn Saviour was to bring is the first note of this exalted hymn, and was sounded forth probably by one detachment of the choir. To this answers the "peace on earth," of which He was to be the Prince (Isaiah 9:6), probably sung responsively by a second detachment of the celestial choir; while quick follows the glad echo of this note - "good will to men" - by a third detachment, we may suppose, of these angelic choristers. Thus:
First division of the celestial choir --
"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST"
Second --
"AND ON EARTH PEACE"
Third --
"GOOD WILL TO MEN"
Peace with God is the grand necessity of a fallen world. To bring in this, in whose train comes all other peace worthy of the name, was the prime errand of the Saviour to this earth. This effected, Heaven's whole "good will to men" or the divine complacency х eudokia (G2107), cf. Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:9; Philippians 2:13, etc.] descends now on a new footing to rest upon men, even as upon the Son Himself, "in "whom God is well pleased" х eudokeesa (G2106), Matthew 3:17]. Bengel notices that they say not 'glory to God in heaven,'-but using a rare expression - "in the highest" heavens х en (G1722) hupsistois (G5310)], where angels do not aspire (Hebrews 1:3-4). [The reading, 'to men of good will' - en (G1722) anthroopois (G444) eudokias (G2107) - is introduced into the text by Tischendorf and Tregelles, after Lachmann-on the authority of the Alexandrian and Beza manuscripts (A and D); but chiefly on the strength of the Latin versions, and from the difficulty of accounting for so uncommon a reading occurring at all if not genuine. In this case the sense will still be agreeable to Scripture doctrine-`to men of (His, that is, God's) good will,' or the objects of the divine complacency; not as the Romish Church, after the Vulgate, take it to mean, 'to men of good disposition.' But the great preponderance of manuscripts and versions is in favour of the received reading; nor will the objections to it, as spoiling the rhythm, appear of the least force in the view we have given of it above, but just the reverse. DeWette, Meyer Alford, and Van Osterzee, are decidedly in favour of the received reading.]